Guro-gu Designated as 'Intercultural City' by the Council of Europe

First Autonomous District in Seoul Certified... Evaluated on 90 Items Including Conflict Resolution, Social Participation, and Anti-Discrimination... Certification Plaque Installed at District Office... Will Actively Exchange with Over 140 Member Cities Worldwide

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Seong) has emerged as an international "Intercultural City."

Guro-gu announced on the 20th that "it was recently designated as an 'Intercultural City' by the Council of Europe in recognition of its efforts to create a city where both domestic and foreign residents can be happy together."

An "Intercultural City" refers to a city where residents of diverse cultures and nationalities pursue social integration through communication and cooperation. It goes beyond multiculturalism, which focuses on the "coexistence" of various cultures, aiming for a city of "mutual growth" through active exchange and interaction.

Started in 2008 by the Council of Europe and the European Union, this city design and operation program evaluates 90 items including intercultural strategies, conflict resolution measures, immigrant social participation, and anti-discrimination policies to grant certification. Currently, over 140 cities worldwide participate, and Guro-gu is the first autonomous district in Seoul to obtain the Intercultural City certification.

Guro-gu has implemented various policies to foster an intercultural city.

In 2018, it established a dedicated department to systematically support and manage foreigners and multicultural families in the region. It also opened the Family Integration Support Center, which integrates the Healthy Family Support Center and the Multicultural Family Support Center to provide one-stop public services.

To enhance residents' understanding of diverse cultures and build consensus, it holds an annual "Multicultural Talk Concert" and operates the "Daga-chi Danu-ri Governance," a public-private-academic policy network.

To create a harmonious space where domestic and foreign residents can mingle, it also holds the "World Citizens' Day" festival. This year, under the theme of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and delivering a message of hope, the "Online World Citizens' Day" festival was held in May.

Educational programs to strengthen residents' intercultural capabilities, such as training courses for intercultural leaders and glocal living culture and arts leaders, are also being conducted.

Additionally, as the chair city of the National Multicultural City Council, Guro-gu has taken the lead in actively responding to issues in areas with high concentrations of foreigners and developing related policies.

Mayor Lee Seong has been reappointed as chair for the 4th term (November 7, 2018 ? November 6, 2020), following three previous terms.

To commemorate the designation as an "Intercultural City," Guro-gu held a plaque ceremony at the city hall entrance on the 14th. Prior to this, on the 24th of last month, it participated in the Australia-Asia regional Intercultural City online forum to share key policies and discuss mutual cooperation measures.

A Guro-gu official stated, "With this 'Intercultural City' certification as an opportunity, we plan to continue active exchanges with member cities around the world," adding, "We will do our best to create a livable city where domestic and foreign residents live together harmoniously."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.